DOCSLIB.ORG

The Priest, Minister of Divine Mercy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY THE PRIEST, MINISTER OF DIVINE MERCY AN AID FOR CONFESSORS AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA © Copyright 2011 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana - 00120 Città del Vaticano Tel. 06.698.81032 - Fax 06.698.84716 ISBN 978-88-209-8549-3 www.vatican.va www.libreriaeditricevaticana.com VATICAN PRESS PRESENTATION “It is necessary to return to the confessional as a place in which to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also as a place in which “to dwell” more often, so that the faithful may fi nd compassion, ad- vice and comfort, feel that they are loved and understood by God and experience the presence of Divine Mercy beside the Real Presence in the Eucharist”.1 With these words, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI addressed confessors during the recent Year for Priests, indicating to each one present the importance and therefore the apostolic urgency of redis- covering the Sacrament of Reconciliation, both from their viewpoint of penitents as well as that of ministers. Along with the daily celebration of the Eucharist, the availability of the priest to hear sacramental confessions, to welcome penitents, and to accompany them spiritually when they so request, is the real measure of a priest’s pastoral charity. By their availability, priests give joyful witness and in a certain sense take upon themselves their true identity, redefi ned in the Sacrament of Holy Orders and not reducible to a mere functionality. The priest is a minister, which is to say that he is at the same time both a servant and a prudent dispenser of Divine Mercy. To him is entrusted the serious responsibility “to forgive or to retain sins” (cf. John 20: 23). Through him, and through the power of the Spirit who is the Lord and Giver of Life, the faithful are able to experience today in the Church the joy of the Prodigal Son, who after a life of sin returned to his father’s house in the manner of a servant but was welcomed with the dignity of a son. Whenever a confessor is available, sooner or later a penitent will arrive. And if the confessor continues to make himself available, even stubbornly so, sooner or later many penitents will arrive! Our rediscovery of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, both as pen- itents and as ministers, is a measure of authentic faith in the saving 1 BENEDICT XVI, Allocution to the participants in the Course on the Internal Forum organized by the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 11 March 2010. 3 action of God which shows itself more clearly in the power of grace than in human strategic or pastoral initiatives which sometimes over- look this essential truth. Responding to the appeal of the Holy Father and expressing his profound intent, this aid is intended as yet another fruit of the Year for Priests, to be a helpful instrument for the ongoing formation of the Clergy and an aid in rediscovering the indispensible value of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and of Spiritual Direction. The new evangelization and the ongoing renewal of the Church, semper reformanda, draw their life blood from the true sanctifi cation of each member of the Church. It is clear that sanctifi cation must pre- cede both evangelization and renewal, for it lays claim to and forms the necessary precondition for every effective apostolic effort, as well as for the reform of the Clergy. In the generous celebration of the Sacrament of Divine Mercy, each priest is called to experience for himself the uniqueness and the indispensability of the ministry entrusted to him. Such an experience will help him to avoid the “ever-changing sense of identity” which so often marks the existence of some priests. Instead, his experience will cultivate within himself that sense of wonder which fi lls his heart, for through no merit of his own he is called by God, in the Church, to break the Eucharistic Bread and to forgive the sins of others. With these thoughts, we entrust the distribution and the fruits of this aid to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Refuge of Sinners and Mother of Divine Grace. Vatican City, 9 March 2011 Ash Wednesday MAURO Card. PIACENZA Prefect c CELSO MORGA IRUZUBIETA Titular Archbishop of Alba marittima Secretary 4 INTRODUCTION: TOWARDS HOLINESS 1. “At all times and in every race God has given welcome to who- soever fears Him and does what is right.(85) God, however, does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals, without bond or link between one another. Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people, a people which acknowledges Him in truth and serves Him in holiness”.2 On the journey to holiness to which the Lord calls each one of us (cf. Mt 5: 48; Eph 1:4), God deigns that we come to the help of one another. In this way we become mediators in Christ, as it were, to draw others near to his eternal love. This is the horizon of charity in which the celebration of the Sacrament of Pen- ance and the practice of spiritual direction may be found, and it is they that constitute the object of the present document. Some phrases of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI draw out at- tention to the same theme: “These days, the correct formation of be- lievers’ consciences is without a doubt one of the pastoral priorities”; and he adds: “ ‘Spiritual direction’ also contributes to forming con- sciences. Today there is a greater need than in the past for wise and holy ‘spiritual teachers’: an important ecclesial service. This of course requires an inner vitality which must be implored as a gift from the Holy Spirit in intense and prolonged prayer and with a special train- ing that must be acquired with care. Every priest moreover is called to administer divine mercy in the sacrament of Penance, through which he forgives sins in the name of Christ and helps the penitent to walk on the demanding path of holiness with an upright and informed conscience. To be able to carry out this indispensable ministry, every priest must tend to his own spiritual life and take care to keep himself pastorally and theologically up to date”.3 It is in accord with this line 2 SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gen- tium, 9. 3 BENEDICT XVI, Message to His Eminence Cardinal James Stafford, Major Penitentiary, and to the participants of the XX course on the internal forum promoted by the Apostolic Peniten- tiary (14 March 2009). 5 of thought that that this aid is offered to priests as ministers of the Divine Mercy. Any year dedicated to the memory of the Curé of Ars should leave an indelible mark on the life and ministry of priests. This is especially true of this year which recalls the 150th anniversary of his death (1859- 2009): “[a] Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world…”.4 Such interior renewal should reach every aspect of priestly life and ministry and deeply permeate every aspect of their outlook, moti- vation and concrete behaviour. Contemporary circumstances demand witness to a priestly identity lived in joy and hope. 2. The ministry of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is closely connected with spiritual counselling or direction, tends to- wards recovery of the spiritual and apostolic objectives of both the minister and of the faithful, as a paschal return to the Father, in fi delity to his loving plan for “the fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men”.5 It implies personally undertaking anew, for the service of others, that journey of interpersonal relationship with God and with the brethren which is realized in contemplation, perfection, communion and mission. The practice of the Sacrament of Penance in all its fullness, as well as spiritual direction or counselling, allows us to live more authen- tically in “joyful hope” (Rom 12:12). It allows us to respect and value human life in all its aspects, to rediscover the importance of the fam- ily and the guidance of young people, of the renaissance of priestly vocations and of an integrally lived priesthood, and of ecclesial and universal communion. 3. The relationship between reconciliation and spiritual direction is based on the urgency of love: “For the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, 4 BENEDICT XVI, Letter Proclaiming a Year for Priests on the 150th Anniversary of the “Dies Natalis” of the Curé of Ars (16 June 2009). 5 PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), 42: AAS 59 (1967), 278. 6 all have died. He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). This presupposes a particular commitment since the followers of Christ truly “no longer live for themselves” (ibidem), but live in truth and charity. All of the pastoral activity of St. Paul, together with its many dif- fi culties, which he compares to the travail of childbirth, can be sum- marized in the urgency of “forming Christ” (Gal 4:19) in each and everyone of the faithful. St. Paul’s objective was “to make everyone perfect in Christ” (Col 1:28) without exceptions or limits. 4. The ministry of reconciliation and the service of spiritual counsel and direction are contextualized by the universal call to ho- liness which is the perfection of Christian life and “the perfection of charity”.6 Pastoral charity in the truth of priestly identity should cause the priest to direct all of his ministry and ministrations towards holiness thereby harmonizing the prophetic, liturgical and diaconal as- pects of his ministry.7 An integral part of priestly ministry is the disposition to guide the baptized towards the perfection of charity.
Recommended publications
  • To Pray Again As a Catholic: the Renewal of Catholicism in Western Ukraine

    To Pray Again As a Catholic: the Renewal of Catholicism in Western Ukraine

    To Pray Again as a Catholic: The Renewal of Catholicism in Western Ukraine Stella Hryniuk History and Ukrainian Studies University of Manitoba October 1991 Working Paper 92-5 © 1997 by the Center for Austrian Studies. Permission to reproduce must generally be obtained from the Center for Austrian Studies. Copying is permitted in accordance with the fair use guidelines of the US Copyright Act of 1976. The the Center for Austrian Studies permits the following additional educational uses without permission or payment of fees: academic libraries may place copies of the Center's Working Papers on reserve (in multiple photocopied or electronically retrievable form) for students enrolled in specific courses: teachers may reproduce or have reproduced multiple copies (in photocopied or electronic form) for students in their courses. Those wishing to reproduce Center for Austrian Studies Working Papers for any other purpose (general distribution, advertising or promotion, creating new collective works, resale, etc.) must obtain permission from the Center. The origins of the Ukrainian Catholic Church lie in the time when much of present-day Ukraine formed part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was then, in 1596, that for a variety of reasons, many of the Orthodox bishops of the region decided to accept communion with Rome.(1) After almost four hundred years the resulting Union of Brest remains a contentious subject.(2) The new "Uniate" Church formally recognized the Pope as Head of the Church, but maintained its traditional Byzantine or eastern rite, calendar, its right to ordain married men as priests, and its right to elect its own bishops.
  • To the Members of the John Paul II Foundation: the Formation of the Young Is an Investment for the Future

    To the Members of the John Paul II Foundation: the Formation of the Young Is an Investment for the Future

    N. 161021a Friday 21.10.2016 To the members of the John Paul II Foundation: the formation of the young is an investment for the future This morning in the Consistory Hall Pope Francis received the members of the St. John Paul II Foundation, whose president is Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, and which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. The Foundation supports initiatives of an educational, cultural, religious and charitable character, inspired by St. John Paul II, whose liturgical memory is celebrated tomorrow, and is active in various countries especially in Eastern Europe, where it has enabled many students to complete their studies. The celebration of the anniversary allows the Foundation to evaluate the work that has been carried out so far, and at the same time to look to the future with new aims and objectives. The Pope therefore encouraged its members to continue their efforts in the promotion and support of younger generations, so that they may face life’s challenges, always inspired by an evangelical sensibility and the spirit of faith. “The formation of the young is an investment for the future: may the young never be robbed of their hope for a better tomorrow!”. “The Jubilee Year that is coming to an end encourages us to reflect and meditate on the greatness of God’s mercy in a time in which humanity, due to advances in various fields of technology and science, tends to consider itself to be self-sufficient, as if it were emancipated from any higher authority, believing that everything depends on itself alone. As Christians, however, we are aware that everything is a gift from God and that the true wealth is not money, which on the contrary can enslave, but rather God’s love, which sets us free”.
  • THE CONFESSOR's AUTHORITY the Catholic Church Meets

    THE CONFESSOR's AUTHORITY the Catholic Church Meets

    CHAPTER THREE THE CONFESSOR'S AUTHORITY The Catholic Church meets people's need for authority and abso­ lution with its doctrine on the penance sacrament and its teaching that the priest possesses divine qualities to administer the sacrament and exercise moral authority. During the ceremony of ordination, God Himself has made a priest the instrument of His power in this world. Thus, the priest is endowed with a character indelebilis which distinguishes him from all secular persons and qualifies him to carry out his mission as intercessor between God and Man, indeed even to deputize for God among mortals. A Catholic writer has said that the priest shows his extraordinary qualities as director of souls by his "apostolic zeal, knowledge of God's ways and supernatural wisdom". 1 But those gifts are not enough for a priest when he officiates in the penance sacrament. They could have their effect also outside that sacrament. As administrator of the sacrament he possesses a special and divine instinct: this shows him the way when he instructs penitents on remedies for their sins and gives them guidance on their future conduct. 2 Such an image of the priest's high office is inculcated in Catholics by their creed itself. A good Catholic accepts a priest's authority; consequently he is prepared in advance to follow confessional advice and to comply in all matters with directions as to his way of life. 3 This maintenance of clerical authority has an integral place in the structure of Roman Catholic doctrine. It is connected there both with the concept of the Church as a whole and with teaching on the sacraments.
  • Relationship of Trust Between Confessor and Confessant

    Relationship of Trust Between Confessor and Confessant

    CHAPTER FOUR RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST BETWEEN CONFESSOR AND CONFESSANT From what we have now observed, the confessant's trust m his confessor-obviously an essential element in any serious confession­ may be said to depend on an authority which the confessor possesses in some exterior way, also on his entirely personal attributes and individual conduct. Having dealt in the last chapter more particularly with the part played by external authority, we ought now to examine specially the nature and importance of the confessor's personal qualities. First, we may note that the confessor should acquire what could be called an inner authority through his own involvement, through his willingness to comprehend and enter into the confes­ sant's troubles : such authority of the confessor is rooted in the confessant's mental situation, and thus he can exercise a profound influence on it. In what follows, we shall study the evidence of a confessant's trustful attitude founded on authority of the kind. Let us, to begin with, turn to confession in the Catholic Church and see what significance is attached to the personal element there. The confession we meet with might of course seem to be of a purely institutional kind : in principle it should function ex opere operato and thus have its effect whatever the confessor's personal attributes and manner of proceeding; so the personal factors ought really to be of no consequence. But closer investigation shows this to be a rather superficial view, applicable only when Catholic confession is practised in a routine fashion. The actual situation is that, even if the penance sacrament is objective in principle, the personal element seems to have asserted itself and broken through the institutional framework.
  • Saint Maximus the Confessor and His Defense of Papal Primacy

    Saint Maximus the Confessor and His Defense of Papal Primacy

    Love that unites and vanishes: Saint Maximus the Confessor and his defense of papal primacy Author: Jason C. LaLonde Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:108614 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2019 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Love that Unites and Vanishes: Saint Maximus the Confessor and his Defense of Papal Primacy Thesis for the Completion of the Licentiate in Sacred Theology Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Fr. Jason C. LaLonde, S.J. Readers: Fr. Brian Dunkle, S.J., BC-STM Dr. Adrian Walker, Catholic University of America May 3, 2019 2 Introduction 3 Chapter One: Maximus’s Palestinian Provenance: Overcoming the Myth of the Greek Life 10 Chapter Two: From Monoenergism to Monotheletism: The Role of Honorius 32 Chapter Three: Maximus on Roman Primacy and his Defense of Honorius 48 Conclusion 80 Appendix – Translation of Opusculum 20 85 Bibliography 100 3 Introduction The current research project stems from my work in the course “Latin West, Greek East,” taught by Fr. Brian Dunkle, S.J., at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in the fall semester of 2016. For that course, I translated a letter of Saint Maximus the Confessor (580- 662) that is found among his works known collectively as the Opuscula theologica et polemica.1 My immediate interest in the text was Maximus’s treatment of the twin heresies of monoenergism and monotheletism. As I made progress
  • Gerard Mannion Is to Be Congratulated for This Splendid Collection on the Papacy of John Paul II

    Gerard Mannion Is to Be Congratulated for This Splendid Collection on the Papacy of John Paul II

    “Gerard Mannion is to be congratulated for this splendid collection on the papacy of John Paul II. Well-focused and insightful essays help us to understand his thoughts on philosophy, the papacy, women, the church, religious life, morality, collegiality, interreligious dialogue, and liberation theology. With authors representing a wide variety of perspectives, Mannion avoids the predictable ideological battles over the legacy of Pope John Paul; rather he captures the depth and complexity of this extraordinary figure by the balance, intelligence, and comprehensiveness of the volume. A well-planned and beautifully executed project!” —James F. Keenan, SJ Founders Professor in Theology Boston College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts “Scenes of the charismatic John Paul II kissing the tarmac, praying with global religious leaders, addressing throngs of adoring young people, and finally dying linger in the world’s imagination. This book turns to another side of this outsized religious leader and examines his vision of the church and his theological positions. Each of these finely tuned essays show the greatness of this man by replacing the mythological account with the historical record. The straightforward, honest, expert, and yet accessible analyses situate John Paul II in his context and show both the triumphs and the ambiguities of his intellectual legacy. This masterful collection is absolutely basic reading for critically appreciating the papacy of John Paul II.” —Roger Haight, SJ Union Theological Seminary New York “The length of John Paul II’s tenure of the papacy, the complexity of his personality, and the ambivalence of his legacy make him not only a compelling subject of study, but also a challenging one.
  • Spring 2020 Booklist Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

    Spring 2020 Booklist Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

    Spring 2020 Booklist Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family JPI 510/729 Theological Anthropology McCarthy • Compendium of readings (available through Cognella) • Burns, J., Ed. Theological Anthropology. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981. • Balthasar, Hans Urs. The Christian State of Life. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1983. • ______. Theo-Drama II, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990. ISBN 0898702879 • ______. Theo-Drama III. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 11992. ISBN 089870295X. • De Lubac, H. The Drama of Atheist Humanism. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995. ISBN: 089870443X • De Lubac, H. A Brief Catechesis on Nature and Grace. Ignatius Press, 1984. ISBN: 0898700353 • John Paul II. Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body. Pauline, 1997. • Schmitz, K. The Gift: Creation. Marquette University Press, Milwaukee, 1982. • Scola. The Nuptial Mystery. Trans. M. Borras. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2005. • Spaemann, R. Essays in Anthropology – Variations on a Theme. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2010. JPI 532/707 Biblical Theology of Marriage and Family (OT) Atkinson • Holy Scriptures [The most recent edition of Ignatius Press’ RSV is particularly good.] • Biblical and Theological Foundation of the Family, Joseph Atkinson (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2014). • Jean-Baptiste Edart (with Himbaza and Schenker). The Bible on the Question of Homosexuality. (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2012). JPI 550/850 Gender and the Sexual Difference D.L. Schindler • Compendium of readings (available through Cognella) • Simon Baron-Cohen, The Essential Difference. (New York: Basic Books, 2003). • John Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them: Theology of the Body. • Eve Tushnet, Gay and Catholic (Ave Maria Press, 2014).
  • CONFESSIONAL METHOD the Confessor's Ability to Inspire

    CONFESSIONAL METHOD the Confessor's Ability to Inspire

    CHAPTER FIVE CONFESSIONAL METHOD The confessor's ability to inspire confidence is evidently connected with the method he uses for confession and spiritual guidance. It is clear, too, that a confessor endowed with special personal qualifi­ cations will create a confessional method worth following. He does so sua sponte, without reflecting closely on his course of action. Later, however, he may derive a system with clearly framed rules from his experience. We might study the methods of some prominent confes­ sors, basing our examination either on clear and systematic state­ ments, when such exist, or on what may be deduced from how those confessors practised : this should supply us with more information than can be gleaned by merely directing our attention at the confes­ sor's personal virtues or "intuitive capacity". One of the great figures in the Catholic cure of souls is-as we have already stressed-Fran9ois de Sales. We ought to find that such an exemplary confessor had an ideal method for confession in its Catholic form. His ideas about spiritual healing are still valid and have a normalizing importance in the Catholic Church.1_ By examining his method we should consequently make a somewhat closer approach to how he could get his penitents to rely so completely on his direction -in, for example, such cases as those of Jean-Pierre Camus and Madame de Chantal. The basic principle of Saint Fran9ois' spiritual leadership is, we perceive, that the confessor should not force orders and regulations on the penitent. Fran9ois de Sales assumes that his penitent has a strong desire to attain moral perfection, a desire which should be supported by the confessor's instructions.
  • The Holy See

    The Holy See

    The Holy See MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER ON THE OCCASION OF THE 14TH WORLD YOUTH DAY “The Father loves you” (cf. Jn 16:27) Dear young friends! 1. In the perspective of the Jubilee which is now drawing near, 1999 is aimed at “broadening the horizons of believers so that they will see things in the perspective of Christ: in the perspective of the 'Father who is in heaven' from whom the Lord was sent and to whom he has returned” (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 49). It is, indeed, not possible to celebrate Christ and his jubilee without turning, with him, towards God, his Father and our Father (cf. Jn 20:17). The Holy Spirit also takes us back to the Father and to Jesus. If the Spirit teaches us to say: “Jesus is Lord” (cf. 1Cor 12:3), it is to make us capable of speaking with God, calling him “Abba! Father!” (cf. Gal 4:6). I invite you also, together with the whole Church, to turn towards God the Father and to listen with gratitude and wonder to the amazing revelation of Jesus: “The Father loves you!” (cf. Jn 16:27). These are the words I entrust to you as theme for the XIV World Youth Day. Dear young people, receive the love that God first gives you (cf. 1Jn 4:19). Hold fast to this certainty, the only one that can give meaning, strength and joy to life: his love will never leave you, his covenant of peace will never be removed from you (cf. Is 54:10).
  • CBCP Monitor A2 Vol

    CBCP Monitor A2 Vol

    New evangelization Pondo ng ECY @ 25... 25 years must begin with Pinoy @ Seven of youth service A3 the heart, Pope B1 B5 teaches Manila to hold 60-hour adoration for pope’s 60th sacerdotal anniv THE Archdiocese of Manila will hold a 60-hour Eucharistic adoration to mark the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s sacerdotal ordination on June 29. In a communiqué sent to all parish priests, rectors and religious superi- ors throughout the archdiocese, Ma- nila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said the 60-hour adoration “presents an inspired occasion for us to 00 June 20 - July 3, 2011 Vol. 15 No. 13 Php 20. Sacerdotal / A6 Church soon to implement changes in Mass translation By Pinky Barrientos, FSP CHANGES in the English translation of the Order of the Mass are soon to hit parishes across the country when the full implementation of the new liturgical text is adapted next year. The adoption of the new English translation of the Ro- man Missal has been approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) during its plenary assembly in January this year. Some parts of familiar responses and prayers have been amended to reflect the true meaning in the original Latin text, the language of the Roman liturgy. In the Introductory Rites, for instance, the response of the faithful “And also with you” to the priest’s greeting “The Lord be with you” has been replaced with “And with your spirit.” © Noli Yamsuan / RCAM Yamsuan © Noli Similar changes have also been introduced in other parts of the Mass, such as the Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Concluding Rites.
  • The Holy See

    The Holy See

    The Holy See ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON THEIR "AD LIMINA" VISIT Tuesday 31 May, 1988 Dear Brothers in our Lord Jesus Christ, 1. Once again it is a great joy for me to welcome a group of American Bishops. In you I greet all the priests, deacons, Religious and laity of the Provinces of Louisville, Mobile and New Orleans. Memories of New Orleans encourage me to send special greetings to those groups that I met there: the youth of America, the apostles of Catholic education, the beloved black community throughout your land, and all those striving to meet the challenge of greatness in higher Catholic education. At the same time I remember in my thoughts and cherish in my heart all the faithful of America, far whom we are striving to provide true pastoral service in the name of “the Chief Shepherd of the flock” (1 Petr. 5, 4), our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In all the pastoral events that I experience with you, the Bishops of the United States – each event in continuity with the preceding ones – it is my intention to reflect with you on an organic pastoral view of our Episcopal ministry. This organic view must take into account the perennial exigencies of the Gospel; it must also express the indisputable priorities of the life of the Church today, both in her universal needs and in the special requirements of the Church in the United States. At the same time it must faithfully reflect the call of the Second Vatican Council to reform and renewal as reiterated by the Bishop of Rome and the worldwide Episcopate in communion with him.
  • Year of Preparation Primer

    Year of Preparation Primer

    YEAR OF PREPARATION PRIMER AN EXPLANATION OF THE ORDER, ITS HISTORY, ITS MEMBERSHIP & THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta American Association 1011 First Avenue New York, NY 10022 Table of Contents Chapter 1 What is the Order of Malta Page 1 Chapter 2 The Year of Preparation Page 7 Chapter 3 The American Association Page 11 Chapter 4 Works and Ministries Page 15 Chapter 5 The Lourdes Pilgrimage Page 22 Chapter 6 A History of the Order of Malta Page 29 Chapter 7 The Daily Prayer of the Order Page 33 Chapter 8 Members of the Order: Knights Page 36 and Dames of Magistral Grace, Those in Obedience and the Professed. Appendix Our Lady of Philermo Page 44 Order of Malta American Association Year of Preparation Formation Program Chapter 1--What is the Order of Malta? This booklet is designed to give you a better understanding of the Order of Malta. With background knowledge of the Order of Malta, you will be in a better position to satisfactorily complete your year- long journey of preparation to become a member of the Order. Hopefully, many of your questions about the Order will be answered in the coming pages. The Order of Malta is a lay religious Order of the Catholic Church with 14,000 members and 80,000 volunteers across the world headed by a Grand Master who governs the Order from Rome, both as a sovereign and as a religious leader. The Order was founded over 900 years ago by Blessed Gerard, a monk and Knight, who gathered a group of men and women together to commit themselves to the assistance of the poor and the sick, and to defend and to give witness to the Catholic faith.